30 Biggest Summer Blockbusters of the Past 30 Years from Star Wars to Shrek

The summer blockbuster is a long-standing tradition, and the top hits seem to bring in bigger box-office revenues with each passing year. To see how the blockbuster has evolved, GOBankingRates compiled a list of the biggest summer hits since 1990, plus information on where you can stream these classic films today.

One recommendation to start for May 4 viewing: Either of the “Star Wars” franchise films on the list.

The movies highlighted were the highest-grossing films released between the first Friday in May through Labor Day weekend in their respective years, according to Box Office Mojo, a website that tracks box-office revenue. See which of summer movies — some of them sequels — made bank.

• Opening weekend gross: $12.2 million
• Worldwide gross: $505.7 million

In “Ghost,” a murdered man (Patrick Swayze) takes the form of a ghost to help his girlfriend (Demi Moore) discover who killed him and solve the reason for his death. Whoopi Goldberg won a best supporting actress Oscar for playing the role of a psychic.

“Ghost” only cost $22 million to make but it earned over $500 million worldwide. It opened domestically in July 1990 and didn’t close until the end of March the following year.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on Showtime or Fubo. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $31.7 million
• Worldwide gross: $516.9 million

The first “Terminator” introduced viewers to Arnold Schwarzenegger as a killer robot sent back in time, but “Terminator 2” is what made the character famous. This time, Schwarzenegger’s terminator is good — sent back in time by the future leader of the human resistance to protect him as a boy from another, more advanced terminato, also sent from the future.

“T2” premiered seven years after the first movie partly because computing capabilities needed to advance before the bad terminator’s liquid metal construction could be depicted. With a budget of $102 million, the film was one of the most expensive movies made at the time of its release.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on HBO Max and Netflix. Rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $45.7 million
• Worldwide gross: $266.8 million

In this film, Batman — played by Michael Keaton — faces off against villainous foes the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Also in this cast is Christopher Walken, who has the role of Max Shreck.

“Batman Returns” was the summer blockbuster of 1992, and its $80 million production budget was easily recouped by the $162.8 million in total domestic revenue it made. However, its predecessor, “Batman,” which was released three years earlier, had a production budget of only $35 million and raked in more than $251 million from U.S. viewers.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on HBO Max. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $47 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.02 billion

In “Jurassic Park,” a pair of paleontologists and a handful of other professionals are brought to a theme park where dinosaurs have been successfully cloned for a preview tour. However, a major electrical failure results in the dinosaurs escaping from their cages and wreaking havoc. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum star in the movie.

This film had a production budget of $63 million, with another $60 million spent on marketing, the Los Angeles Times reported. “Jurassic Park” was one of only two summer blockbusters in the 1990s to earn more than $1 billion, and it’s still No. 31 on Box Office Mojo’s list of highest-grossing movies of all time.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on HBO Max, Netflix and Peacock. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $24.5 million
• Worldwide gross: $677.9 million

“Forrest Gump” is the extraordinary tale of a man with less-than-average intelligence who touches the lives of many people, including Jenny, his one true love. Tom Hanks plays the title character in this movie. Robin Wright and Sally Field also have leading roles.

The movie grossed more than $600 million. Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis signed deals that entitled them to a portion of the film’s gross revenues, according to The New York Times. By May 1995, they reportedly had raked in about $31 million each and were set to earn more. “Forrest Gump” is still among Tom Hanks’ top-earning blockbusters.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Netflix and Paramount+. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $52.8 million
• Worldwide gross: $336.5 million

In “Batman Forever,” Batman faces foes Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey) with help from his new sidekick, Robin (Chris O’Donnell). Also in the cast is Nicole Kidman, who plays love interest Dr. Chase Meridian.

“Batman Forever,” which had a $100 million production budget, was a megahit in its day. It was the first film ever to earn $20 million in a day, according to Forbes.

Stream or rent it: Stream it on HBO Max. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $50.2 million
• Worldwide gross: $817.4 million

In this sci-fi action movie, unlikely groups of people come together to destroy aliens that have attacked the planet. The movie stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Vivica A. Fox and more.

“Independence Day” had a $75 million production budget that it recouped incredibly quickly. The movie earned nearly $85 million in its first five days, setting a record for the period. That number doesn’t include an additional $11.1 million the movie pulled in from its Tuesday night preview. In total, the film earned approximately $817.4 million worldwide.

Twenty years after “Independence Day” hit theaters, Fox released “Independence Day: Resurgence” in the hopes of bringing in a similarly huge payday. The sequel cost $165 million to make and brought in approximately $389.7 worldwide — not even half as much as the original.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on HBO Max, Peacock and Prime Video. Rent it from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $51 million
• Worldwide gross: $589.3 million

Moviegoers clearly hadn’t gotten enough Will Smith versus aliens in ’96: Smith squared off against intergalactic foes again the following summer in the smash hit “Men in Black.” The movie is about two agents, Kay and Jay, who work for an unofficial government agency that focuses on alien affairs. The partners uncover the plot of an alien terrorist who is planning to assassinate two ambassadors from rival galaxies and set out to stop him. Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino and Vincent D’Onofrio star.

The movie was released over the Fourth of July weekend and set a three-day-weekend record with more than $51 million in box-office revenues. In five days, it earned $79 million.

The movie’s sequel, “Men in Black II,” was released on the same weekend five years later. It was shown on nearly twice as many screens but earned just more than $52 million over the three-day stretch and approximately $87 million in its first five days. The latest in the “MIB” franchise, “Men in Black: International,” was released nearly a quarter-century after the original, opening on June 14, 2019. It was the No. 1 movie for its opening weekend, bringing in $30 million. It ended up grossing $253.9 million worldwide.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on Peacock. Available to rent from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99. On Vudu, it’s $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $30.5 million
• Worldwide gross: $481.8 million

After discovering that Private Ryan’s three brothers have been killed within the same week during World War II, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines in search of him. The war drama stars Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore and Edward Burns, among others. Matt Damon plays Private Ryan.

A long-running champ, “Saving Private Ryan” held the title for highest-grossing war movie until 2015 when it was dethroned by “American Sniper,” reported CNN Money. “Saving Private Ryan” had a production budget of $70 million.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Netflix and Paramount+. Available to rent from Amazon for $3.99 or and Google Play and Vudu for $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $64.8 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.02 billion

The end of the 20th century marked the resurgence of the “Star Wars” franchise. In the first of these movies, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, face off against the deadly Darth Maul. In the process, they learn he is a mere pawn of a larger Sith scheme. The pair also meet Anakin Skywalker, a young boy who Qui-Gon Jinn believes could be a powerful Jedi. The cast includes Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid.

“The Phantom Menace” is another summer blockbuster that shattered records for opening-day and single-day grosses during its time, bringing in $28.5 million on a weekday. The movie had a $115 million production budget, but with more than $1 billion in worldwide box-office revenues, the investment paid off.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from Google Play for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $57.8 million
• Worldwide gross: $546.4 million

“Mission: Impossible II” marked the return of agent Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise. In this installment of the franchise, Hunt and crew travel to Australia to find and destroy a genetically modified disease that undesirable characters are trying to get their hands on. Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton and Ving Rhames all have starring roles in the movie.

“Mission: Impossible II” had a production budget of $125 million, which was more than recouped from U.S. audiences, who spent more than $215 million viewing the film, placing it at No. 3 on the list of highest-grossing movies on a domestic basis in 2000. “Mission: Impossible II” was the most profitable of the franchise in the U.S. until “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” was released in 2018.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Paramount+ or Pluto. Available to rent from Google Play and Vudu for $2.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $42.3 million
• Worldwide gross: $484.4 million

There’s more to a person than meets the eye. That’s the message of “Shrek,” an animated movie starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. In the movie, an ogre named Shrek journeys to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a tower in exchange for the returned ownership of his swamp. But Fiona is under a spell that causes her to change into an ogre at night, as Shrek and his new pal, Donkey, soon learn.

The “Shrek” series is Dreamworks’ most financially successful franchise. Its three sequels earned quite a bit more than the original — all grossed more than $750 million in worldwide receipts.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on Netflix, Peacock and Prime Video. Rent it from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $114.8 million
• Worldwide gross: $821.7 million

Peter Parker is a normal high school student — until he’s bitten by a genetically modified spider and acquires spider-like superpowers. He uses his newfound powers to fight the evil Green Goblin. Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Willem Dafoe and Kirsten Dunst star in the movie.

“Spider-Man” was filmed at a time when Hollywood was digesting rising production costs that boosted the average price tag of major movies to $59 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. By comparison, this film cost $130 million. But it broke every opening record held at the time, raking in over $114 million its first weekend, a feat that had never been accomplished at that time.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on Peacock. Available to rent from Vudu for $2.99 and from iTunes and Google Play for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $70.3 million
• Worldwide gross: $940.3 million

After tragically losing his wife, clownfish Marlin only wants to protect his son, Nemo. But one day, Nemo is plucked from the ocean and whisked away on a boat. Marlin sets off to find him and meets Dory, a fish who suffers from memory loss, as well as other memorable characters. Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe are among the actors who lend their voices to the movie.

“Finding Nemo,” which had a $94 million production budget, brought Pixar $246 million in profit based on domestic gross alone, according to Business Insider.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $108 million
• Worldwide gross: $919.8 million

Just three years after “Shrek” hit theaters, Shrek, Donkey and Fiona returned to the silver screen in “Shrek 2.” In the sequel, Shrek and Fiona are invited to Far Far Away, the kingdom of Fiona’s parents. The catch is, her parents expect a handsome prince and princess to arrive, not a pair of ogres. Chaos and confusion ensue after Shrek takes a potion that will make him human. Antonio Banderas, John Cleese and others joined the original cast of Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz for this movie.

“Shrek 2” was an immediate success, bringing in more than $28 million on its opening Friday — and doing even better on Saturday and Sunday, to close the weekend with $108 million. Paramount (Dreamworks) went on to make two more Shrek movies. The studio also released the highly-successful movie spinoff “Puss in Boots.”

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Hulu Plus, Netflix, Peacock and Prime Video. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $108.4 million
• Worldwide gross: $848.8 million

In this installment of “Star Wars,” Jedi Anakin Skywalker fears for his secret wife, Padmé, and their unborn children. Skywalker is lured to the dark side of the Force by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and the Jedi are nearly all destroyed. The cast includes Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid and Samuel L. Jackson.

The $113 million used to produce “Revenge of the Sith” was apparently well-spent. The film earned more than $50 million in box-office sales on opening day. “Revenge of the Sith” became the No. 1 movie in the U.S. for 2005.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from iTunes, Google Play and Vudu for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $151.1 million
• Worldwide gross: $890.9 million

In “Spider-Man 3,” an extraterrestrial entity bonds with Peter Parker’s Spider-Man suit, changing his personality and bringing out his dark side. Meanwhile, he contends with new villains, including Venom and Sandman. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco reprise their roles in this movie. Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace join the cast.

The production budget for this film was an estimated $258 million. However, according to Business Insider, the film actually cost $291 million.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Peacock. Available to rent from Vudu for $2.99 and iTunes and Google Play for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $158.4 million
• Worldwide gross: $1 billion

The sequel to the 2005 movie “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” focuses on Batman facing off against the Joker, who has plunged the city of Gotham into chaos. Movie leads include Christian Bale (Batman), Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel) and Heath Ledger (the Joker). It was one of Ledger’s last projects before his untimely death in 2008, during the movie’s promotion.

The film, which cost $185 million to produce, earned more than $203 million in its first five days, making it the fastest movie to earn $200 million ever at that time. When Warner Brothers closed the curtains on the movie after a 231-day run, it not only ranked as one of the top summer blockbusters, it was the top superhero/comic book movie at that time.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream on Plex, Tubi, HBO Max, Hulu Plus and Netflix. Or, rent it from Google Play or Vudu for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $108.96 million
• Worldwide gross: $836.3 million

In the second installment of the “Transformers” franchise, Sam Witwicky — along with girlfriend Mikaela Banes — is dragged back into the Transformers’ war. Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro all play major roles in the movie.

This movie’s $200 million production budget appears to have paid off. It broke the record for Wednesday openings, earning more than $60 million its first day. It has the best domestic gross ($402 million) of all the movies in the “Transformers” franchise.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Netflix. Available to rent from Amazon for $3.99 or Google Play and Vudu for $2.99.

2011: ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’

• Opening weekend gross: $169.2 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.3 billion

In the final installment of the “Harry Potter” franchise, Harry, Ron and Hermione must find and destroy the three remaining Horcruxes that hold the key to Lord Voldemort’s immortality. The movie culminates in a fierce battle between good and evil at Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Ralph Fiennes star.

As would be expected for the finale of a decade-long saga, this film dominated at the box office. The film holds the No. 16 spot on Box Office Mojo’s list of biggest opening weekends.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via HBO Max and Peacock. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $174.1 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.2 billion

In “Iron Man 3,” Iron Man Tony Stark squares off against the Mandarin. Stark’s personal world has been destroyed and he’s out for vengeance. He also seeks to answer a question that has long haunted him: “Does the man make the suit, or does the suit make the man?” Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle.

This film was the most successful in the “Iron Man” franchise. It had the No. 21 highest opening day of any film ever. Marvel invested $200 million to make it, and then made over $1 billion in 23 days, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Starz and Disney+. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

4: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

• Opening weekend gross: $94.3 million
• Worldwide gross: $773.3 million

In 2014, Marvel topped the summer blockbusters list for the third consecutive year with “Guardians of the Galaxy.” In the film, intergalactic adventurer Peter Quill steals an orb and becomes the target of a bounty hunt. To evade the powerful villain Ronan, Quill teams up with four superhero misfits. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista appear in the film. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper lend their voices.

The $232 million in production costs was slightly over budget, according to Forbes. But “Guardians of the Galaxy” turned out to be one of Marvel’s highest-grossing movies, making $3.33 for every $1 spent, according to Forbes.

In May 2017, Marvel released the second installment in the “Guardians” series. The film made more than $863 million worldwide.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and Amazon for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $208.8 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.7 billion

More than 20 years after “Jurassic Park” debuted in theaters, “Jurassic World” was released. Similar to the film that started it all, “Jurassic World” takes place at a dinosaur theme park on an island. All is well at the park until a genetically modified dinosaur — the Indominus rex — breaks out of its cage. “Jurassic World” stars Chris Pratt — the actor’s second huge summer blockbuster — as well as Bryce Dallas Howard.

It cost $150 million to produce “Jurassic World,” but that money was quickly recouped, as this was the first film to ever gross over $500 million in a single weekend, according to CNBC. It also surpassed all other summer blockbusters for opening weekend IMAX revenues, bringing in $44.2 million worldwide.

Stream or rent it: It’s not currently available to stream, but it’s available to rent from Amazon for $3.99 and on Vudu for $4.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $135 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.03 billion

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres reprised her role as the forgetful Dory in the sequel to the 2003 hit animated film “Finding Nemo.” In “Finding Dory,” the funny fish and her friends Marlin and Nemo cross the ocean once more in search of Dory’s parents. A number of stars lend their voices to the movie, including “Modern Family” actors Ed O’Neill and Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy and Sigourney Weaver (as herself).

“Finding Dory” brought in approximately $486.3 million domestically and $542.3 worldwide for a total worldwide gross of more than $1 billion.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from Google Play, Vudu and more for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $103 million
• Worldwide gross: $821 million

Gal Gadot stars as the titular character in this DC Comic film, which follows an Amazonian warrior who leaves home to help fight a looming conflict in the outside world.

Gadot led this superhero movie to box-office victory in 2017. The film had the highest-grossing opening weekend of any movie directed by a woman, NPR reported, and it was the No. 3 grossing DC Comic film of all time, beat out only by “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via HBO Max. Available to rent from Amazon, Google Play, Vudu and more for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $183 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.24 billion

Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter voice Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl in this highly anticipated sequel to “The Incredibles.” In this animated film, the two characters must reverse roles to take on a new mission, with Elastigirl going out to save the world while Mr. Incredible stays behind to manage the house.

The film earned nearly double its predecessor’s earnings: “The Incredibles,” which came out in 2004, grossed $633 million worldwide, while “The Incredibles 2” grossed $1.24 billion. It’s the No. 1 animated film of all time, and the No. 11 highest-grossing domestic film of all time on the Box Office Mojo List.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from Amazon, Vudu and more for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $191.7 million
• Worldwide gross: $1.65 billion

This photorealistic computer-animated film is a remake of the iconic 1994 traditionally animated movie. It stars the voices of Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé as Nala. James Earl Jones returned to voice Mufasa, Simba’s father.

“The Lion King” cost $260 million to make but earned $543.6 million domestically and a total of $1.65 billion worldwide.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from Google Play and Vudu for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $9.4 million
• Worldwide gross: $363.7 million

“Tenet” had the misfortune of being released in 2020, when the pandemic forced moviegoers to stay home. The Warner Bros. release had a domestic box office of $58.5 million but fared better internationally, bringing in worldwide gross revenues of $363.7 million.

It’s an action-adventure/sci-fi thriller in which the main character, known as “The Protagonist,” sets out on one mission and winds up having to save the all of humanity. John David Washington plays “The Protagonist,” with Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh also in the cast.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via HBO Max. Available to rent from iTunes, Google Play and Vudu for $3.99.

• Opening weekend gross: $80.4 million
• Worldwide gross: $379.8 million

“Black Widow,” another entry from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, picks up where “Captain America: Civil War” leaves off – with Natasha Romanoff on the run from her own government and living underground. The movie fleshes out her back story, showing the viewers that Natasha and sister Yelena’s “normal” time living in Ohio was anything but. Instead, they were turned into killers.

Scarlett Johansson returns as Natasha, with Florence Pugh starring as Yelena and Rachel Weisz and David Harbour among those in the cast.

Stream or rent it: Available to stream via Disney+. Available to rent from Amazon for $3.99.

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